Abuse of Power Reflected in the Politics and Drama of...

Individual Abuse of Power Reflected in the Politics and Drama of Ancient Greece The Greeks believed that too much power entrusted in one person was dangerous. They were the first democratic society in a tumultuous world of kings and emperors, and they were proud of their ideology. Considering their fervent belief in rule by many, its not surprising that many Greek dramas revolve around an individual hero or a kings fall from power because of pride or some other personality flaw. Well-known characters in some of the greatest Greek tragedians plays illustrate this idea. In Aeschyluss Agamemnon, the title character is a returning king who behaves arrogantly and thoughtlessly. He is murdered by his wife and his kingdom falls apart.†¦show more content†¦The fact that he recognizes and regrets, at least a little bit, his crime makes Agamemnon seem more like an ill-fated man than a bad man, which shows that the gods are naturally inclined to be prejudiced against those who hold power. He goes on to wage war and destroy innocent lives, angering both the people and the gods. The chorus predict his downfall: â€Å"The gods fail not to mark those who have killed many. The black Furies stalking the man fortunate beyond all right wrench back again the set of his life and drop him to darkness† (Aeschylus, Agamemnon, 461-466). He does come to a bad end in an ironic twist as Agamemnon, the sacrificer, becomes the victim when his wife Clytemnestra murders him. Agamemnon‘s arrogance and weakness, symptoms of too much power, become obvious when he finally returns home from war. His wife greets him effusively and delightedly, but he says that her speech to him, like his absence, was too long (915- 916). Then he mocks her idea of placing rugs before him to walk on, saying that his reputation is strong enough without resorting to womanish tricks like walking on purple carpets. He feels he must boast in front of his wife, the one person who should not need convincing of his greatness. This shows how he loses some common sense in his preoccupation with the prestige of his name. Agamemnon then shows off his booty from the war, Cassandra. This is very disrespectful to his wife and shows again that Agamemnon isShow MoreRelatedGreek Influence on Rome3191 Words   |  13 PagesThroughout Roman history, there have been many changes that have taken place both in public and private domain. There was one group of people in particular who sparked ve ry influential changes on Rome, the Greeks. Greece was highly respected around the Mediterranean in most of ancient history, because they were the more advanced society both socially and militarily. It makes perfect sense that Rome wanted to take elements of Greek culture and incorporate it into the ever growing powerhouse thatRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. 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